Track and field is a sport in which athletes compete in running, jumping, and throwing events. Most running events are held on oval tracks located either outdoors or indoors. The surface of the oval tracks is typically a synthetic material, although some outdoor tracks are still made of cinders or the like. In many running events, each runner starts the race from a crouched position with his feet against a starting block. A starting block is a piece of equipment having a rail portion with two foot pedals. When the race begins, the runner is able to push back against the starting block and accelerate faster than would be possible without the starting block. Each runner has his own preferred foot placement relative to the starting line so most starting blocks have an adjustment means that enable the foot pedals to move forward and backward along the rail.
A wide variety of starting blocks are available commercially. For example, the 2003 catalog of Gill Athletics, Inc. of Champaign, Ill. features ten different starting blocks. Other starting blocks are disclosed in the patent literature, including Fichter et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,746,335, issued Jul. 17, 1973; Newton, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,738, issued Jul. 23, 1991; and Newton, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. Des. 385,606, issued Oct. 28, 1997. Starting blocks feature many different kinds of mechanisms for adjusting the position of the foot pedals relative to the rail. Some mechanisms are more easy to adjust than others and some mechanisms engage more securely after adjustment than others. Some mechanisms allow the foot pedals to be separated from the rail while other mechanisms do not. Some starting blocks contain downwardly pointed spikes on the rail and foot pedals which enable the starting block to be “set” onto the track and thereby reduce the chance the starting block will slip backward when the runner takes off. Some starting blocks contain handles which enable the starting block to be carried more easily. Some starting blocks contain markings which enable the angle of the foot pedal or the longitudinal distance between the foot pedals to be reset easily to a desired position.
Despite the many starting blocks that are available commercially or have been disclosed, a demand still exists for a starting block with an improved mechanism for adjusting the foot pedals relative to the rail.